Volunteer

Cine Squad

Interested in Volunteering at the Film Society Year-Round? Join CINE SQUAD!

What is Cine Squad? Cine Squad is a team of volunteers who will help the Film Society spread the word about individual films, film festivals, special screenings and eventually the big festival, MSPIFF. It’s a year-round gig that promises to be a lot of work and a lot of fun. Hours are flexible, you can work in our offices or at the movie theater, and hang out with other cinephiles.

What will Cine Squad members do?

Represent the Film Society at special screenings, such as Ronia, the Robber’s Daughter, Stage on Screen, and others, handing out material specific to the film, membership forms, and answering questions.

Distribute flyers, calendars and outreach materials around town and on various campuses.

Free admission to festivals and events that you’re helping promote. For instance, if you had worked the Film Society table a single screening during the Cine Latino film festival, you would get to see the entire festival for free! Benefits for MSPIFF will be laid out by the MSPIFF Volunteer Coordinator.

A free Film Society t-shirt to wear at these events.

The Film Society can’t do the great things they do without the help of volunteers, and we’re looking for dedicated souls who love movies to help us do just that. Cine Squad members will be contacted prior to events, and we will holding quarterly meetings as well to keep you abreast of forthcoming films and other events!

Volunteer at MSPIFF

For 17 exciting days, April 12-28, the 37th Minneapolis St. Paul International Film Festival will welcome film enthusiasts and professionals from around the world to celebrate the best of international, national, and local independent cinema.

With over 200 films, and thousands of guests, MSPIFF depends heavily on the generosity and support of our fantastic volunteers. Festival Volunteers assist in a variety of roles within our various departments, ranging from administrative support to ushering at our cinema venues and industry events.

NEW VOLUNTEERS

Interested in joining the Film Society’s volunteer team? To fill out an application to volunteer CLICK HERE, or call 612.331.7563 (M-F, 10am-6pm) and ask to speak with our Community Engagement Coordinator.

CURRENT VOLUNTEERS

Make your own schedule! The Film Society volunteer program uses a web-based scheduling system in order to:

Volunteers who have already submitted an application can login with the password submitted with their application by clickingHERE.

WHAT DO VOLUNTEERS DO?

Volunteers are broken down into teams, with varying responsibilities. You’re welcome to join one or many of the teams based on your interests. Click on a volunteer team name for more information.

• LEAD VOLUNTEERS

About: Lead Volunteers coordinate the volunteer team on their shift, and is one who communicates between the Venue Managers and the volunteer team.Responsibilities: Manage a shift of volunteers, assist with volunteer check-in and check-out, answer volunteer questions and provide general team leadership, maintain effective communications between staff and the volunteer team.

Qualifications: You must be at least 18 years old. Organized person able to lead, delegate, and work one-to-one with volunteers, and to manage a volunteer team. Patience, communication, and flexibility are important qualities. There will be time when there is not much to do, so the ability to stand for several hours will also be necessary.

• THEATER OPERATIONS TEAM

About: These volunteers are the front lines of the Festival, and represent the heart of MSPIFF. For many of the festival guests, you will be the first face they see. The various roles include but are not limited to: Greeter, Usher, Ticket Checker, and Runners.Responsibilities: This position is perfect for friendly and welcoming people who can solve simple issues such as answering questions, handing out ballots, check tickets, and controlling traffic flow.

Qualifications: You must be at least 18 years old. There will be time when there is not much to do, so the ability to stand for several hours will also be necessary.

• STREET TEAM

About: Do you like to get out in the community? Do you like to get to know area businesses? Then the Street Team is an excellent place to volunteer!Responsibilities: Distribute posters and rack cards to area businesses.

Qualifications: Distribution will be needed before and during the Film Festival.

• GUEST SERVICES TEAM

About: About: Help coordinate the visits of more than 150 visiting filmmakers and special guests. Assist in the hospitality lounge that serves the festival filmmakers. Help the Virtual Reality station.Responsibilities: Maintain the lounge and VR station. This is not an opportunity to network with the filmmakers.

Qualifications: You must be at least 18 years old. You must have the awareness of yourself and others to understand when and when to not engage with guests.

• OFFICE TEAM

About: This position is perfect for volunteers with exceptional administrative and communications skills, are highly organized, adaptable and self-starters.Responsibilities: Ballot-counting, answering phones, assisting with programming needs, helping sign in other volunteers, fulfilling industry and press accreditations, and more.

Qualifications: Office help is needed in the office before and during the Film Festival. You will need to be able to sit for several hours at a time.

• TRANSPORTATION TEAM

About: Do you enjoy interesting conversations with interesting people?Responsibilities: We need people to pick up filmmakers and industry guests from the airport and transport them around the Twin Cities area.

Qualifications: You must be at least 25 years old, have a valid driver’s license, proof of insurance, and your own vehicle. You should have the maturity to be able to talk with passengers when needed but also the discretion to leave them be when needed.

• TRANSLATORS

About: Filmmakers travel from all over the world to attend the festivals and sometimes there is a need for interpreters for visiting guests.Responsibilities: Provide translation during Q&As following screenings; interpret for filmmakers attending events or media interviews.

Qualifications: Ability to facilitate effective communication between two parties that do not speak a similar language by converting one or more spoken or written languages to another. Excellent customer service experience and mindset. Excellent verbal and written English.

VOLUNTEER APPRECIATION

Volunteers play an essential role in the Film Society’s ability to support the presence of international and independent cinema in the Twin Cities, and should understand when joining our team that their main reward is the satisfaction of knowing that they contributed in a tangible way to the future of film in the region. In thanks for this contribution of time, we do offer a number of material benefits as well, including:

– One ( 1 ) voucher for any regular-price Film Society screening for every four ( 4 ) hours of volunteering
– One ( 1 ) free Film Society membership (Basic) after 20 hours of volunteering within a calendar year
– Recognition on Film Society pre-reel for all volunteers who contribute 50 or more hours per year

This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a Minnesota State Arts Board Operating Support grant, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund, and a grant from the Wells Fargo Foundation.